Nongfu Spring tries to come clean on charges

POPULAR Chinese mineral water brand Nongfu Spring has been forced to defend itself amid reports that one of its reservoirs in Hubei Province is polluted.

The 21st Century Business Herald reported on Monday that a variety of waste, including discarded medicine bottles, were found near the reservoir in Danjiangkou City. It alleged the company burnt the garbage but the spoils seeped into soil and water.

Besides, the nearby areas are also dotted with fish farms. Farmers admitted using feeds laced with chemicals, contaminating the area further.

A ship-building berth which uses large amounts of metals and paints is also located nearby. Nongfu Spring itself was accused of illegally dumping chemical wastes.

The Hangzhou-based bottled water manufacturer responded to the allegations on its microblog on the same day, stating that the garbage dump was around 1.4 kilometers away from the lower reaches of the reservoir. It insisted the water quality was within the acceptable drinking standards.

The company bottles water from four resources in Hubei, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Jilin provinces.

On March 8, a woman who bought Nongfu water found black particles inside the bottle. The company claimed that tests showed that the water was still safe for drinking and the foreign particles were possibly due to changing temperature or due to other factors during transportation.

Soon after, a man found brown-red particles, forcing Nongfu Spring to once again issue denials that the reservoir was polluted.

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